Fishers’ Kai McGrew (left) and Carmel’s Evan Harrell jump for the tipoff to begin the Tigers-Greyhounds boys basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 31. (Richie Hall)
By RICHARD TORRES
For The Reporter
CARMEL – A day after setting a school record for 3-pointers made in a single game, Fishers junior Cooper Zachary still had more left for rival Carmel, and he didn’t miss – much.
With the Sectional 8 preview stage set inside the Eric Clark Activity Center on Saturday, Jan. 31, the Tigers’ career leader for 3-pointers made airballed his first attempt from deep, as Class 4A No. 7 Carmel surged ahead, 9-2.
Then, the sharp-shooting guard zeroed in and sparked the top-ranked 4A Tigers’ comeback with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the first quarter that cut the deficit, 11-8, and another to end the third that kept Fishers in control en route to a 53-50 victory.
Fishers’ Cooper Zachary (left) and Carmel’s Cash Daniels both had outstanding games. Daniels scored 23 points for the Greyhounds while Zachary scored 16 points. (Richie Hall)
Zachary finished with a team-high 16 points and shot 5-for-10 from 3-point range, giving him 23 treys in three games, while the Tigers (18-0) pushed their regular-season winning streak to 48 consecutive.
Zachary’s final 3-pointer and buzzer-beater against Carmel (11-3) capped his own 10-point third quarter and the team’s 22-point frame.
A feat Zachary achieved after going 10-for-11 from long range at Franklin Central on Friday, Jan. 30, where he tallied a game-high 36 points with six 3s made in the third quarter alone.
“I think everybody here, himself included, knew this was coming, knew what he was capable of, and it’s not just like he’s doing it this year,” Fishers coach Garrett Winegar said. “He’s got to do it in a higher dose this year, and he’s been hitting big shots, making big plays for us since he walked in the door as a freshman.”
The program’s career leader in steals and assists, Zachary added to all three categories at Carmel with his second dish setting up freshman Max Hopkins in the post that made it 11-10.
Two minutes later, Fishers mounted a tide-turning 11-0 run to go ahead 24-13 and never trailed again.
“That’s a huge play for a freshman to make. Kai (McGrew) had two fouls there, and Max came in, and I thought, had great minutes in the second quarter,” Winegar said. “He had a huge bucket.”
Junior Levi Walker followed up Hopkins’ and-1 layup with one of Fishers’ 11 made 3-pointers to deadlock the game 13-13 in the second quarter. Walker finished with 10 points.
“We punched, and they punched back, but I feel like we had the last punch,” Zachary said.
Carmel didn’t go down without a fight, seeking to end Fishers’ streak where it symbolically began nearly two years ago.
Fishers’ last regular-season loss, 54-46, occurred at Carmel’s ECAC on Jan. 27, 2024, which propelled the Tigers towards a 13-game winning streak down the stretch and their first IHSAA 4A state title.
